Anson, Charleston

Concierge.com's insider take:

This chic, gilt-trimmed dining room frequented by society types is the city's finest. Although Anson is adjacent to touristy Old City Market, it's frequented by Charlestonians, who come for the fresh, creative spins on traditional dishes: barbecued grouper, shrimp and grits (ground in Anson's own kitchen), and crispy flounder. The setting is a century-old warehouse jazzed up with plantation shutters, gold ballroom chairs, an authentic cypress fireplace mantle, and planters. Huge French windows provide a passing scene of horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping through the streets. Request a table upstairs.